Food waste

chillidoggy

It seems like every week there’s someone in the media banging on about food waste, and how we throw enough food away to feed the entire continent every day. I agree, it’s a serious issue, and up until now, I’ve been doing my bit to prevent this tragedy by eating everything on my plate. Sadly, this has turned me into a fat bastard, helping to fuel the latest obesity crisis, and so clearly a different strategy is required.

Swanning around in the supermarket earlier, and by way of an example, I noted that it was impossible to buy one tomato, one potato, and one chicken breast. Instead, there was a pack of tomatoes, a fucking great sack of spuds, and the least number of chicken breasts available was three. I also discovered that bacon comes in multiple rashers, and most beers are packaged in a case. I want ped to buy a little gem lettuce, but they were also in a pack of two.

As there’s only me and her indoors to cater for, I’ve come to the conclusion that supermarket packaging is wholly to blame for the problem, at least for all the food I throw out. 

p90fool

If you were swanning it must've been Waitrose. 

Bridgehouse

midlifecrisis

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

Bridgehouse

midlifecrisis said:

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

No, he meant that New Mexican cooking sauce - Juan Tomato

midlifecrisis

Bridgehouse said:

midlifecrisis said:

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

No, he meant that New Mexican cooking sauce - Juan Tomato

Not Juan Sheet,  singly sold pieces of toilet paper

Bridgehouse

midlifecrisis said:

Bridgehouse said:

midlifecrisis said:

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

No, he meant that New Mexican cooking sauce - Juan Tomato

Not Juan Sheet,  singly sold pieces of toilet paper

Same company. 

They have Juan goal in mind....

VimFuego

I buy my eat from a local butcher/farm shop. You can buy single chicken breasts there, as well as individual rashers of bacon etc. Likewise, when I buy veg I buy it from a local growers co op, all things can be bought singly. I guess the moral of this story is buy from small shops and not supermarkets. 

spark240

I was enlightened on food waste recently, in fact today. We are working on a new BioGas project which uses food waste as the source of energy, ending up as electric. Our task will be the new De packaging plant to separate the food contents from their packages, TBH I didnt realise this was such a massive industry, the tanker of food waste comes twice a day to deposit a rather iffy looking sludge which is shoved in the fermenter to produce gas....I could go on....

Kilgore

I enjoy cooking up something with whatever is in the fridge.

A salad goes with anything, potatoes last for ages and meat can go in the freezer.

Bridgehouse

Kilgore said:

meat can go in the freezer.

Bit cold and difficult to chew tho...

Phil_aka_Pip

You buy several chicken fillets because they're in a pack. So make up a stew/curry/why with all of it, and freeze what is not eaten straightaway in µwave tubs. I make food like that to take to work so I can nuke it up at lunch time

tampaxboo

top tip.
to avoid having to make a separate shopping trip for every single meal, buy two of some things and keep them in the fridge.

scrumhalf

tampaxboo said:

top tip.
to avoid having to make a separate shopping trip for every single meal, buy two of some things and keep them in the fridge.

Plates?

Sassafras

Don't shop at supermarkets.

sev112

All/most supermarkets have a butcher which will sell you one rashe or bacon, chicken Breast etc.  The fruit and veg you can buy one of everything, tomato, potato as you wish 








etc.  

p90fool

I work for a supermarket, and I recognise the signs immediately. There are some people who come in every day and put three or four items in their basket, hang around staring into space and start up a chat with staff members.

They spend an hour or so every day pottering about "picking up a few bits for tea" when they could just do it once a week if they used a trolley.

It's simple, OP is just lonely.

cruxiform

I was in the same boat when I started living on my own. Used to pop out, buy food then would throw a lot of it away when it went off. So I made a weekly meal plan and generated a shopping list from that, making sure the meals use up everything I buy. I also do what Phil said, make up ‘batches’ of things like stews etc. The food wastage has dramatically decreased but the main thing I’ve noticed is the money I’ve saved

Sassafras

I sympathise with the OP.
You try going into a supermarket nowadays and buying just one cow or one pig.
They don't want to know.

thermionic

midlifecrisis said:

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

Me. Or 3 mushrooms. Or 1 chili. Or 5 leaves of basil.

I'm only cooking for myself, and I usually plan ahead. So if something comes in a packet of "too many" I cook enough for 3-4 meals and stick the rest in the freezer for the following week. I don't throw too much away. The worst is bread, it often gets mouldy before I'm half way through a loaf.

underdog

thermionic said:

midlifecrisis said:

who the fuck would want to buy one tomato ?

Me. Or 3 mushrooms. Or 1 chili. Or 5 leaves of basil.

I'm only cooking for myself, and I usually plan ahead. So if something comes in a packet of "too many" I cook enough for 3-4 meals and stick the rest in the freezer for the following week. I don't throw too much away. The worst is bread, it often gets mouldy before I'm half way through a loaf.

In the Tesco in my town you can buy single tomatoes, mushrooms etc I'm sure you can in all their stores.

You can also buy half loaves of bread